Climatization plant

ABSTRACT

A climatization plant, particularly for use in the textile and printing industry, for climating or air-conditioning working zones. The plant comprises a central device or station for preparing or conditioning a primary air stream, this station being connected to a plurality of distribution channels for prepared or conditioned air. Each distribution channel being provided at the inlet side with a device for conditioning the mixture of air composed of so-called primary air and secondary air, and having further means for controlling the volume or mass flow of secondary and/or primary air to thereby vary the heating or cooling power and the relative moisture content of the conditioned mixture of air.

United States Patent 1191 Tailor 14 1 Dec. 11, 1973 CLIMATIZATION PLANT 3,122,201 2/1964 Ashley et al. 165/123 75 I vent r: Pramodk mar Chh nl IT I 1 n Ga'n'devi India aga a Primary Examiner-Charles Sukalo Attorney-Karl W. Flocks [73] Assignee: Spolair Engineering Systems AG,

Zug, Switzerland [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: Feb. 4, 1972 A climatization plant, particularly for use in the textile and printing industry, for climating or air-conditioning [21] Appl 223493 working zones. The plant comprises a central device Related US. Application Data or station for preparing or conditioning a primary air [63] Continuation Of S61. NO. 23,769, March 30, 1970, Stream, this Station being cpnnected to a plurality of abandoned. distribution channels for prepared or conditioned air. 1 Each distribution channel being provided at the inlet [52] US Cl 165/19, 165/50, 165/123 side with a device for conditioning the mixture of air [51] Int. Cl F241 3/14 composed of so-called primary air and secondary air, [58] Field of Search 165/22, 50, 16, 19, and having further means for controlling the volume 165/20, 123 or mass flow of secondary and/or primary air to thereby vary the heating or cooling power and the rel- [56] References Cited ative moisture content of the conditioned mixture of UNITED STATES PATENTS l 2,107,268 2/1938 Avery et al. 165/16 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEBBEEI 1 197a SKEIIIZ INVENTOR. W 0. 75

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PAIENIEB 1 I973 3. 777. 806 sum 2 or 2 CLIMATIZATION PLANT This application is a continuation of S. N. 23,769, filed Mar. 30, 1970, and now abandoned.

' This invention relates to a climatization or airconditioning plant, particularly for use in the textile industry for climatizing, spinning and other types of machines. The plant may also be used in the printing industry for machines with heat emission and for working zones requiring a predetermined moisture content.

Various systems are known for climating or airconditioning machines of the type referred to or for climating the rooms in which such machines are installed. In one system used in the textile industry, a mixture of outside and inside air is filtered, heated and moistened in a climatization or air-conditioning device. The mixture of air prepared by such a device is then blown in oversaturated state into the room. For introducing the conditioned air, channels equipped with grids and blowing nozzles areused. By using this systemmoisture content of the whole room is influenced. In order to obtain the required conditions of the air for the machines it is necessary to build up various mechanical constructions. The relatively high air temperatures and moisture contents are unpleasant for the operators. In some cases disturbances of the physical condition of the operators are observed.

An other known system is the so-called single-climatization-system. In this system each machine has its own air-conditioning station comprising air suction means, filter, heater, washer (moistening means), blower and air distributor means. Each station is provided with hand or automatically operable air flow controlling flaps. Depending on the desired moisture content the heater may not be mounted. This system provides only a very slow change of the state or condition of the air. It is also very difficult to obtain a good and precise control of the desired state or condition of the air. If more than one machine is connected to a single plant, it is impossible to obtain an individual air condition for each machine.

With conventional air-conditioning plants the air in the whole room must be brought'into the required state for the working zone. The volume of air to be fed and to be drained is very great. The operating costs and the cost for the installation are therefore very high.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved climatization or air-conditioning plant, avoiding at least partially the known disadvantages without any loss of efficiency.

The climatization plant in accordance with the present invention comprises a central conditioning station for primary air, a plurality of distributor channels for distributing a mixture of primary and secondary air connected to said central station, each of said distributor channels being provided at its inlet with means for conditioning said mixture of primary and secondary air, and means for controlling the mass flow of secondary and primary air to thereby vary the heating and cooling performance respectively .and the relative moisture content of said mixture of air.

This air-conditioning plant enables to control individually the mass flow, the temperature and the relative moisture content of the air in all zones equipped with distributor channels, i.e., the state or condition of the air in all working zones connected to the plant.

The invention will be further described in the following part of the specification with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic view of a climatization plant in accordance with the present invention, for conditioning a plurality of different working zones, and

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 some embodiments, in a purely diagrammatic manner, of distributor channels for the mixture of conditioned air.

The climatization or air-conditioning plant shown in FIG. 1 comprises the following parts:

1. A central conditioning station for preparing socalled primary air. This station itself comprises the following components:

a. An inlet 1' for outside or fresh air provided with a device 2 for controlling the mass flow of the air (e.g., flaps of aluminium or an other non-corrosive material).

b. An inlet 3 for room air together with an associated device 4 for controlling the flow of the air (e.g., also flaps) enabling for example to reuse air from the climated or conditioned working zones.

Both said inlet channels for outside and room air 1 and 3 respectively are leading to a common channel 5 for primary air.

In this primary air channel 5 are mounted the following aggregates:

c. A filter 6 for cleaning the primary air stream.

d. A heater 7 for heating, if required, the primary air.

This heater may, e.g., work with hot water.

e. A cooler 8, e.g. in the form of a water cooler, for cooling, if required or necessary, the primary air.

f. An air washer 9 serving also as an air moistening device, comprising a circulating pump 10, spray tubes 11 and a collecting tank 12. A- washing or moistening device working with vapor may be used.

g. A retreater 13 (not absolutely necessary) for reheating, if required or necessary, the primary air. Such reheater may have the same construction as the heater described under (I) hereinabove.

h. A conveying means 14, e.g., an axial or radial blower, together with a governor or control unit 15. For controlling or operating, the governor 15 an electric, hydraulic or pneumatic or an electronic system may be used, such as for example the piezometer 16.

i. A silencer 17 for damping the noise in the working zones, i.e. in the zones to be climated.

2. The outlet of the primary air channel 5, i.e. the outlet of the central conditioning station for primary air, is connected to a collecting channel or manifold A for conditioned primary air. A plurality of distributor channels l8, 18, 18' etc. arranged in different working zones C, C, C" etc. to be climated or conditioned, are connected to the manifold A by means of connecting channels B, B, 3' etc., i.e. to the central conditioning station 1 to 17.

The distributor channels 18, 18', 18" etc. may be arranged above, below or on the side of the machinesin the zones C, C, C" etc. to be conditioned (see FIGS.

It is possible to connect any number of machines or zones to the central conditionning station, depending on the power or output thereof.

3. The desired mass flow and condition of air may be individually controlled for each of said distributor channels. To this end each distributor channel B is provided with a control device, e.g., with a throttling device 19. The volume or mass of delivered air may be controlled automatically or by hand, e.g., by maintaining constantly the pressure in the manifold A. The pressure in the manifold A may be maintained constantly by a bypass-control, by varying the output (number of revolution) of the conveyor 14 or by varying the blade angle of the impeller of the blower 14. The volume control may be made automatically, e.g., by an electric, electronic or pneumatic system.

Each connecting channel B is provided, near the inlet into the corresponding distributor channel 18, with a nozzle forming together with openings or passages in the wall of the distributor channel an injector device for drawing in from the environment (room) a predetermined volume or'mass of air, the so-called secondary air S, which is mixed to primary air P discharged through nozzle 14.

The mixture of primary air P and secondary air S forms the air mass serving to condition of the said zones C. Each of said volumes or masses of primary and secondary air may be individually varied by means of suitable throttling or other devices 19 and 21. As stated hereunder, a heat exchanger (heater or cooler) may also be provided somewhere in the secondary air circuit.

As the conditioned primary air has normally a lower temperature as the air taken fromthe room, and as it has usually a higher moisture content, the variation of the mixing proportion of primary and secondary air allows to obtain different states or condition of the mixture.

Measuring and control instruments for the air therein are installed in each distributor channel 18 or somewhere in each zone to be conditioned.

The outlet sections of the openings 22 may be constant or adjustable. Each distributor channel 18 may be provided with an air meter.

in order to obtain a precise control of the condition of the air a heat exchanger is mounted at least in one of said primary, secondary or mixed air circuits, together with all necessary measuring and control devices.

What I claim is:

1. A climatization plant, particularly for climatizing purposes in the textile and printing industry for individconnecting channels connected to said collecting channel and leading to each of the working zones;

distributor channels connected to each of said connecting channels and having means for admixing the primary air flow with a secondary air flow, and feeding the admixture to individual work zones; said central conditioning station including inlet means to said station for air from outside of 'the work zone adjacent the individual machines, further inlet means to said station for drawing air into said station from work zones adjacent the individual machines, connected together with said first mentioned inlet means, conveying means to move the primary air flow through said connecting channels to said distributor channels connected to said channels, and central station control means to control the amount of air delivered by said conveying means connected to said conveying means; said connecting channels including individual control means in each of said connecting channels to control the primary air flow through each of said connecting channels into each of said distributor channels connected thereto; said central station control means controlling the amount of primary air moved by said conveying means in dependence on the adjustment of all of said individual control means. 2. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said central station control means including conveyor control means to control the primary air flow through said conveying means, fluid detection means to detect amount of fluid passing from said central station to said connecting channels and connected to operate said conveyor control means. 3. The climatization of claim 2 further characterized y said fluid detection means being a piezometer. 4. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by I each of said distributor channels mounted near a heat source from each of the machines in the common room. 5. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said distributor channels each including at its inlet injector means for feeding secondary air for the secondary air flow into said distribution channel, and an injector nozzle connected to said connecting channel and feeding primary air into said distribution channel. 6. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said distributor channels having a peripheral side wall with discharge openings therein. 7. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by heat exchanging means in the air flow path. 8. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by 1 moistening and filtering means in the air flow path.

Q UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,777,806 Dated December 11, 1973 Invencoflsj Pramodkumar Chhaganlal TAILOR It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Title page, left column, after "Releated U. S. Application Data" insert the following caption FOREIGN APPLICATION PRIORITY DATA Mar. 28, 1969 Switzerland 4773/69 Signed and sealed this 23rd day of April 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDE'JARD l-'1.FLETCHEE ,JR. C. MARSHALL DANN Attesting Officer I Commissioner of Patents FORM PC4050 (IO-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 nu.s. covnunzmmum; OFFICE I"! 0-:u-ug. 

1. A climatization plant, particularly for climatizing purposes in the textile and printing industry for individually climatizing a work zone at each of a plurality of machines placed in a common room, comprising a common room containing a work zone at each of a plurality of machines, to be climatized; a central conditioning station for conditioning of a primary air flow; a collecting channel connected to said central conditioning station to receive primary air flow therefrom; connecting channels connected to said collecting channel and leading to each of the working zones; distributor channels connected to each of said connecting channels and having means for admixing the primary air flow with a secondary air flow, and feeding the admixture to individual work zones; said central conditioning station including inlet means to said station for air from outside of the work zone adjacent the individual machines, further inlet means to said station for drawing air into said station from work zones adjacent the individual machines, connected together with said first mentioned inlet means, conveying means to move the primary air flow through said connecting channels to said distributor channels connected to said channels, and central station control means to control the amount of air delivered by said conveying means connected to said conveying means; said connecting channels including individual control means in each of said connecting channels to control the primary air flow through each of said connecting channels into each of said distributor channels connected thereto; said central station control means controlling the amount of primary air moved bY said conveying means in dependence on the adjustment of all of said individual control means.
 2. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said central station control means including conveyor control means to control the primary air flow through said conveying means, fluid detection means to detect amount of fluid passing from said central station to said connecting channels and connected to operate said conveyor control means.
 3. The climatization of claim 2 further characterized by said fluid detection means being a piezometer.
 4. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by each of said distributor channels mounted near a heat source from each of the machines in the common room.
 5. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said distributor channels each including at its inlet injector means for feeding secondary air for the secondary air flow into said distribution channel, and an injector nozzle connected to said connecting channel and feeding primary air into said distribution channel.
 6. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by said distributor channels having a peripheral side wall with discharge openings therein.
 7. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by heat exchanging means in the air flow path.
 8. The climatization plant of claim 1 further characterized by moistening and filtering means in the air flow path. 